Shakespeare in the...Middle of the South?

This Friday Molly and I went on a very fun date. First we got amazing sandwiches, drinks, and brownies from Whole Foods. We drove to Woodward Park and ate them, then we went to the outdoor stage where Shakespeare in the Park was doing a production of the Merchant of Venice (one of my favorites).

Before I describe the play, let me hit you with the pre-show.

Three words: Fat Belly Dancers

I could not handle how gross it was. I don't have a problem with people being overweight since I have been my entire life. However, I do not take off my shirt (or for these women, wear slightly more than a bra) and jiggle around my midsection. I wanted to puke, and I had just eaten a huge sandwich and brownie.

And so I extend a hearty NO THANK YOU to these women who clearly took a "How to Feel Good About Your Body" class before getting on stage. Nobody without that kind of advanced emotional security training could handle that.

There are all kinds of things I could say about the play, and overall it was a great time and fun to see, but my post title has a reason and it is this: As dusk turned to night and the lights came on, the bugs came out. I felt less and less like I was sitting in a park in Fresno and more and more like I was in a swamp in Alabama.

Also, I read this play somewhere near eight months ago and could vaguely remember things about it, but Shakespeare's language is just not easy to enjoy if you don't know what's going on already. The guy in front of us was reading along, and I'm not even sure that helped because he abandoned his efforts about a quarter of the way through.

So let these lessons be learned from our experience:

- Free plays are great

- Dinner at a park can be a fun way to change up your dates

- Fat belly dancers will make you wish you hadn't just eaten

- Always read a summary of the plot of any Shakespearean play before you go see it

- Bring lots of bug spray for Shakespeare in the Park

Clearly our evening was eventful and we can look back on it and laugh. Next time you're trying to think of something to do for fun, reach outside of the norm. Don't just do dinner and a movie. We try to keep it fresh, and so should you! Good luck if you find yourself with belly dancers.